The Warriors certainly didn’t disappoint during a drizzly Friday contest at home against St. Francis — a pitchers’ duel that got away from the second-ranked Lancers in the latter stages.

Valley Christian, the back-to-back Central Coast Section Open Division champion, recorded its fourth consecutive shutout in the 6-0 victory and extended its scoreless streak to 32 innings after a combined two-hitter by Arizona commit Jonathan Cymrot and Cal-bound Steven Zobac.

“At this program we’ve played a lot of big games,” Cymrot said. “I know I’m only a sophomore, but I have a lot of big games under my belt along with everyone else here. We opened up with a team from SoCal and a team from Texas this year, and then we played in the national classic last year. Coach Diatte, when we run practice, it’s styled specifically to get us ready for big games. So we’re prepared for these moments, for sure.”

Santa Clara-bound Coleman Brigman broke a scoreless deadlock in the bottom of the fifth with a two-out RBI single and finished 2-for-4 with four RBI after a bases-clearing double in the bottom of the sixth that broke the game wide open.

“St. Francis is obviously a great program, they’re always bringing it every game,” Brigman said. “So it’s tough, it’s always a grind-out game with them. And I definitely felt the big atmosphere and the intensity the whole time. That’s the most fun games to play in, for sure, when it’s all on edge. It definitely gives me chills, for sure.”

The Warriors (10-2, 5-0 WCAL) are riding a nine-game win streak and haven’t allowed a run since March 12, while the Lancers (10-2, 3-2) can hardly afford to fall any further behind in the standings.

“That’s why those kids go to Valley and these go St. Francis, to play in those games,” St. Francis coach Matt Maguire said. “So, hey, 1-2 ranking, it seems like you got it pretty right, because that was a pretty good game for the majority.”

Hits at a premium in pitchers’ duel

While the final score may look lopsided, it was a scoreless deadlock through almost five innings. St. Francis junior Joey Schott, who entered the game with a perfect 3-0 record and 0.67 ERA, matched his counterpart on the mound through 4 2/3 innings by allowing only one hit and a walk. “We knew that he was going to be tough,” Valley Christian coach John Diatte said. “He throws three pitches for a strike and he competes well, so we were ready for that. We were hitting the balls hard, we just needed them to drop. And it didn’t happen until the sixth inning, but we knew it was going to be a typical WCAL game.” The breakthrough for the Warriors came with two outs in the bottom of the fifth, when leadoff hitter Eddie Park laced a single to right field and advanced all the way to third base when the ball was misplayed, one of four errors for the Lancers on a wet turf. “Too many mistakes by us in the end,” Maguire said. “I think that’s what those big games come down to, it’s who is going to blink first.” Next up at the plate for the Warriors was Brigman, who stroked a single past the outstretched shortstop to make it 1-0. “It was tough all game,” he said. “Joey Schott was really making great pitches all game, so we were just grinding away at-bats trying to get it done and huge having Eddie in front of me getting on base all the time. So I was just up there focused on trying to put the ball in play, not really trying to do too much.” It’s the type of veteran approach expected out of someone who joined the varsity roster as a freshman. “He’s been with us for four years and he takes great at-bats,” Diatte said. “He’s got a great eye and he’s confident at the plate and he definitely came through for us.” (More on Brigman to come.)

Formula for futility from foes

Cymrot — a 5-foot-11 right-hander — hasn’t allowed an earned run in each of his four starts this season. This time on the mound he lasted five-plus innings and allowed just one hit and two walks before being relieved of duty. “This was by far the best he’s pitched all year,” Diatte said. “Incredibly proud of him and the effort that he put forward for us today. We needed that.” Cymrot struck out the side in the top of the fifth to finish with five K’s, but for the most part he pitched for contact. “We have the best defense in the country, I believe,” Cymrot said. “And it’s go in there, throw strikes and trust that we’re going to get the job done.” The feeling is mutual from the players on the infield and outfield in regard to the pitching staff. “They’re getting it done and we’re just lucky to have them on the team, for sure,” said Brigman, who roams center field. “So, we just have to keep playing behind them and keep believing in them.” Possibly the most trusted arm on call belongs to Zobac, who spent the first five innings in right field before his team-high seventh appearance in relief. “We’re always trying to get to Zo late in the game, so we were hoping to get four (innings) out of Jon,” Diatte said. “But when we got five, that definitely put us in the spot to get Zo back on the mound.”

Practice makes perfect in crucial spot

Zobac, a 6-3 senior, took the ball in the top of the sixth up 1-0 in a precarious spot with runners at first and second and no outs after an error and a five-pitch walk. “We practice this every single day,” he said. “Countless hours of runners-on-first-and-second bunt plays.” Indeed, the Lancers attempted to advance both runners, only for Zobac to dash off the mound and throw a dagger to third base for the first out. “You think to yourself, ‘Why are we practicing the things we practice, right?’ ” Diatte said. “And you hope that in the game they come to fruition. That’s one of the things we needed at the time and he made the play.” A grounder to first turned into another forced out at second, then St. Francis sent a pinch-hitter to the plate. A stolen base put both base runners in scoring position, but on a full-count pitch the threat was thwarted on a swinging miss. “I’ve been working a lot on my curveball,” Zobac said. “Last year it wasn’t good and I’ve really been trying to get my secondary pitches and that’s just a confidence booster for me.” For all intent and purpose, that was the game. Zobac went on to strike out the side in the top of the seventh after a leadoff single for his third save, giving him 20 K’s over 13 innings of work with a spotless ERA. “All we ask for is to put ourselves in situations to be successful,” Maguire said. “And that’s the game of baseball, sometimes you’re going to be successful and sometimes you’re not. And today he was great, he made the big pitch when he had to.”

Is one run enough to satisfy staff?

The question had to be asked. With a streak of 32 scoreless innings and four shutouts, is Valley Christian confident enough that a single run is enough to secure a victory? “The more runs we score, the better,” said Cymrot, with a smile. Probed if he remembered the last time the Warriors allowed a run, Diatte didn’t hesitate. “I’m always worried that they’re going to happen in big bunches,” he said. “So, yeah, I remember.” That’s why a five-run rally in the bottom of the sixth helped to ease any sense of suspense. The first blow, a double down the left-field line by Stevie Hom that nearly turned into a three-run blast but rather made it 2-0. After a walk and a single — Park went 3-for-4 and scored twice — it was Brigman who crushed a 345-foot shot to left-center with the bases loaded. “That was a tough at-bat right there,” he said. “I just tried to grind it away. He kept throwing curveballs. I though he might come in with one fastball, but nah, he stayed with the curve. It was a good pitch, but I stayed back, stayed on it well.” Zobac helped his own cause with a RBI single to go ahead 6-0, then put the finishing touches on the mound. The Warriors justified their spot atop the BANG rankings, while the Lancers must regroup for the rematch in Mountain View on April 12, not to mention the grind in between. “That’s all we can do, learn from what we did wrong and try to build some momentum back,” Maguire said. “Back at it tomorrow and right back to the WCAL. It doesn’t slow down for us.”

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Vytas Mazeika is a sports reporter at The Daily News based out of Menlo Park. He covers athletics at every level, from high school to Stanford to the pros. He also designs the sports pages and copy edits for The Daily News print edition. Mazeika graduated from Carlmont High in 1994 and earned an English bachelor's degree from UCLA.